Hunters by Matthew Fromm - Jon and Stephen Recorded Readings Special Episode In Review

Are you on the hunt (yes, I went there!) for something fun to listen to with that spare 20 minutes you don't know what to do with? I mean, you could spend it watching Family Guy clips on the YouTube, or you could open up Spotify and enter the world of Hunters.

What started as a bet between two American internet pals (whose trifecta of legend is completed by yours truly, at least in our email thread anyway) became so much more, and thus the exciting, witty, and very clever words of young Master Fromm were shot into the stratosphere... or to be more exact - Spotify-sphere.

The Actual Damn Review

I have not hidden my love for voice artist, Jonathan Kilgore (friend of Stephen and husband-friend of Bri Craig, who we are all well aware of, and if you're not, you should be, as they are both talented writers.) See my review of Stephen's The Opening Salvo audiobook to see. Jonathan Kilgore brings gravitas to his voice work. Gravitas and gravel. See, I'm a fucking poet. Stories come to life, characters are fleshed out, and puns, one-liners, dialogue, and even songs are given a little bit of pizzazz.

And so to the Special episode of Jon and Stephen Recorded Readings, a long-running podcast that features Mr Kilgore reading the words of Mr Roddewig.

The story itself is a fast-paced, well-executed tale that has been painstakingly plotted to within an inch of its life by the Fromm, with help from Roddewig and Kilgore to bring it to life in the sound booth. The editing and additions to the story work well in the audio format, and I am delighted to see Master Fromm's words being brought to life.

I like audiobooks, even if it's not my favourite format, and I know some people find them difficult. However, what I really love about them is that audiobooks and fiction podcasts like this allow you just to simply sit and let the words transport you to another place and another time, as all good fiction should. And with Hunters, that works perfectly. You can just close your eyes and see everything unfold. Also, if you want to know what Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix might sound like sung by Humphrey Bogart or Bruce Campbell, this is your best chance.

Without the audio version, the story, of course, stands on its own two feet. However, the audio version definitely is a good call, and I am glad that Matthew chose Hunters to cash in his bet with.

Even if you are not a big fan of audiobooks and audio dramas, and are a big fan of Matthew Fromm (and why wouldn't you be?), a great way to support the guy is by having a listen. In turn, you can also share love and support for Stephen A. Roddewig (yeah, that guy) and the unstoppable force that is a human man with a voice so full of charisma that you'll swear... (I don't really know how to finish that), Jonathan Kilgore.

Final Thoughts

It's hard to be partial when writing about a friend's work, it's true. However, I pride myself on only saying what I believe. The combination of Stephen's editing skills and voice artist-knowing skills, Jonathan's golden, dulcet tones, and Matthew Fromm's voice makes for an entertaining way to spend 18 minutes of your life. Why not multitask and listen to it while doing other things, like walking the dog, walking the cat, fighting a dragon, or writing a review about an audio version of a story by a friend?

If you are interested in supporting the work of these fine gentlemen, please follow the relevant links below.

Link to the Jon and Stephen Recorded Readings Spotify episode featuring Matthew's story:

The link to the written version of Matthew's story:

You can also check out Stephen's other podcast episodes from the link above, and also look at his profile:

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Thanks for reading!